


Crows Cry Red

by loveless_klark



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: A bit more intense, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, BAMF Clarke Griffin, Bellarke Friendship, Camp Nanowrimo, Canon Universe, Canon-Typical Violence, Clarke has powers, Heads up clarke and lexa hate each other, Wanheda Clarke Griffin, kind of
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-25
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:28:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25213180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loveless_klark/pseuds/loveless_klark
Summary: “Leave or I will pick you off one by one until there is no one left to flee.”She faded back into the trees, the crows shrieking as they swooped after her.Watching.Waiting.~ or where Bellamy and the delinquents leave Arkadia after the fall of the mountain and find that they aren't as alone as they seem to be.
Relationships: Bellamy Blake & Clarke Griffin, minor Octavia Blake/Lincoln - Relationship
Comments: 10
Kudos: 30





	1. Corpse in the Woods

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah I stole the name of an older project that I gave up on because I became not obsessed with the pairing, so as such there is no pairing.
> 
> Or maybe there is? Idk there's like a bellarke friendship that's the main focus but it isn't romantic. I might make clarke aromantic. She'd still be bi though.
> 
> With that done, this was written for NaNoWriMo camp July! Or is being written idk I make all my drafts before I actually post them so who knows. Find my NaNo account [here](https://nanowrimo.org/participants/fellowlesbian)
> 
> Also update I haven't written much of this yet. It's an unedited mess and there isn't an update schedule that I'll be sticking to (yet) so don't be prepared for one.

_ ~ Prologue ~ _

_ Pain. _

_ Searing pain digging into her neck, driving right through her brain. _

_ Her life flashed before her eyes. No. Not hers. Theirs. She watched them live and die, rise and fall. _

Is this what I am meant for?

No!  _ They hissed, voices echoing in her head.  _ Wrong. You aren’t right.

We don’t want you.

_ And then her skin was ripping back open. _

_ She screamed, writhing furiously as black blood spilled down her back. _

_ The voices were gone. _

_ They had rejected her. _

_ How dare they? _

“Natblida,”  _ someone said behind her.  _ “Chit don kom au?”

_ They lied to her. _

_ They promised her. _

_ They promised her! _

_ A hand fell on her shoulder. _

_ She grabbed it, yanking them over her shoulder and wrapping her arms around their neck. _

_ A loud  _ snap  _ filled the room. _

_ Her fingers found the knife strapped to their robe. _

_ She grinned. _

_ Blood stained the floor red. _

_ A crow cried in the distance. _

_ ~ Bellamy ~ _

“We settle here!”

Everyone sighed with collective relief.

Bellamy dropped his pack toward the edge of the clearing. He was thinking they’d set up tents in an outer circle, leaving the center open for fire pits and a smokehouse, along with some larger tents for things like medical. And they’d have to- 

“Thank god you finally picked a spot,” someone snarked from behind him. Bellamy sighed, a slight grin growing on his face. “I’d thought we were just going to walk into the sea.”

“I told you, Raven, I checked the maps,” he said, pulling said map out of his bag. “Octavia confirmed. We’re here because none of the clans claim this land.”

“Why not?” The girl sat down next to her own pack, massaging her crippled leg. “None of the clans claimed the mountain either, and that turned out to be a massacre.”

Bellamy shrugged. “This is our best bet. It’s dozens of miles from Arkadia, free land, that should be free for the taking. If there was something to worry about Octavia would’ve told me.”

Raven hummed, not convinced. “And where is your dear sister?”

“With Lincoln. They’ll meet us here in a week or so.”

“Finally letting her go, are we?” Raven began ruffling through her bag. “Good for you. We all appreciate that.”

He sent her a puzzled glance. “You all?”

Raven paused, looking up at him. “Yeah. Your overprotective attitude wasn’t only bugging Octavia, you know, mister ‘I don’t give a fuck about any of you as long as Octavia is safe.’”

Bellamy had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. “It wasn’t always about O.”

“Oh, right, yeah, it was either Octavia or ‘I don’t want to die.’”

He shot her an annoyed look. She met his gaze and shrugged. “Sorry.”

“Set up your tent,” he said, pulling out one of his own. “We’ve got a lot of work to do.”

“Mhm,” Raven hummed, patting her brace. “And what work do  _ I  _ get to do?”

“Well,” he drawled out, “we’ll eventually need more radios. And more bullets, though that isn’t top priority.”

“Weapons not being top priority? That’s new.”

“Shut up, Raven.”

_ ~ _

There were crows.

So what? Crows are everywhere.

There was just something different about these.

Right now, there were three of them, all perched on the same branch, all peering down at the camp with intelligent eyes. The first thing Bellamy noticed was that they were large. Far bigger than any bird he’d seen so far. It looked like their feet were as big as his hand.

The second thing he noticed was the smoke.

It wasn’t really  _ smoke _ , but the birds looked… drifty. Like you could swipe a hand through them and they’d combust. That couldn’t be true, though, as one stretched its wings out and resettled, rustling the leaves. And if he thought he saw smoky tendrils following their movements, well, that couldn’t be true either.

How could it be?

But that was only what he noticed after seeing them  _ everywhere _ .

It reminded him of the early days, when the Trikru would watch them from the trees. The birds were like little spies, constantly watching, waiting, prepared to go back to their crow commander and report. When they were first setting up camp, what had to be a dozen of them were scattered above. Not doing anything. Just observing.

The truth? It creeped him out.

It wasn’t natural.

Bellamy switched guard shifts with one of the younger girls.

The night was another thing he hated about this place.

Everywhere else he’d been, the night had always been lively, filled with chirping crickets, night-birds cooing, animals foraging through the leaves. Here, there was nothing. Absolute silence. Only the occasional  _ caw  _ of one of the weird crows, which were, of course, ever constant.

And it was darker.

The shadows stretched longer, the night was blacker, stars blinking out, the moon looking bright as ever but never giving them much light. They kept the fire pit in camp burning at all hours just because without it there was no way anyone was getting around in the dark.

What made it even worse was the flickers of movement he’d see from the corner. Every so often. A flash of golden sun, but it never was.

It was always just a crow.

But was it really?

_ ~ _

They caught their first meal on their third day in the woods.

“The meat tastes weird,” Raven mumbled around her mouthful. Bellamy shot her a doubtful glance. Raven only rolled her eyes, swallowing. “Try it, Blake, you’ll see.”

His own piece looked perfectly fine, as did Ravens. Wonderfully cooked, unlike the first few weeks on the ground, but yet…

The flavor flooded his mouth, but instead of the usual to-die-for taste of well-cooked venison, it reminded him of their first meal. The panther they’d caught when rescuing Jasper. It had been burned to almost the point of being inedible, but they were starving, so no one really noticed the difference. This tasted like that. Charred.

“Told you,” Raven smirked. “Weird, isn’t it?”  
“Yeah,” Bellamy sighed. “Just like so many other things here.”

“We’ll get used to it.” Raven tore off another bite of venison. “It’s got its own kind of charm.”

“Guess so.” Bellamy shrugged, taking another bite and grimacing slightly, too used to the well-cooked, seasoned meat they’d get at Arkadia. Clipped barks from behind him earned his attention. 

The damn crows.

There was only one, larger than the rest, tinted a kind of purple-blue. It spread its wings, croaking in a laughing sort of manner that sent chills down his spine. A few more joined in from the trees, chattering in laugher, making for a terrifying chorus.

Bellamy grit his teeth and scooped up one of the smoldering embers from the fire, chucking it at the bird. They all scattered, cackling, into the sky, leaving him feeling more unsafe than ever before.

_ ~ _

The fire went out.

Their giant bonfire, ever-burning in the center of camp, flickered and died with only a brief gust of wind.

_ That shouldn’t be happening. _

It was night, so only the guards were awake, patrolling the perimeter, but even after all they’d been through, most were still children. A couple of kids shrieked at the sudden darkness, someone yelling in confusion, and Bellamy felt a burst of frustration come through his senses. 

“Calm down!” He said, almost instantly silencing the guards. “I can restart the fire. For now, keep a close watch. Everything is fine.”

Always trusting him, they did as he said. He felt a rush of pride for these teens, these criminals, who’d chosen him as their leader to bring them out of the darkness.

_ The rebel king. _

Just as the first sparks began to smolder, someone cried out. Bellamy jerked up. “What happened?”

One guard was standing rooted in place, shaking, panting. “There was something out in the darkness,” they whispered, so quiet he had to lean in close to understand. “I-I don’t know, but I saw its eyes. It was watching us.”

Fear rippled through everyone present.

Bellamy called for a new shift of guards.

  
  


_ ~ _

The day after it stormed.

Bellamy sat in his tent, reclined against his cot, feeling entirely useless. Flipping idly through pages of a book he’d read five times over, not really considering what was on the page. His mind felt slow and lazy.

A gust of wind slapped against the wall of the tent, making him flinch. The shadows the fire cast began to wave, and ever paranoid, Bellamy couldn’t help but tense up. The danger never ended. One could never put down their guard. Not on the ground.

A twig snapped outside and his thoughts flew, but he knew it was nothing. They had guards. If something came up, they’d call. It was just a rabbit. Obviously.

Still, his hairs stood on end. Trying to relax proved fruitless.

He heard the wind let out a soft sigh.

Warm air gusted over the back of his neck.

Bellamy held in a curse, spinning around. Fuck. He was hallucinating. He had to be. It was just an illusion from the paranoia. This wasn’t a stupid horror movie, these things didn’t happen.  _ They didn’t happen.  _

The shadows taunted him.

Bellamy took a deep breath in, closing his eyes. Trying to calm his racing heartbeat.

He opened his eyes.

The tent opening flapped open.

He grit his teeth, finally slipping on his boots and a jacket before pushing out the now-open tent door. The guards sent him a couple glances, but they were ignored. He was busy scanning the perimeter.

A flash of movement caught his eye.

Golden. Bright as the midday sun.

The crows erupted from the trees.

Bellamy was living a literal fucking nightmare.

_ ~ _

He wasn’t the only one.

The camp was quiet. People sat around the bonfire, eating the oddly tasting meat, talking in hushed whispers while looking around warily. Every noise made someone jump. The ever-present crows brought even more paranoia. As soon as the shadows began to lengthen, everyone was gone. Nobody wanted to be outside when the darkness fell.

“We shouldn’t have come here,” someone voiced, their whisper sounding loud in the quiet camp. “This place is cursed.”

He’d heard variations of the word.  _ Bewitched. Damned.  _ Some thought it was a ghost. Others thought it was the grounders. Nobody disagreed with the statement that there was something about these woods that wasn’t quite right.

They’d thought the dropship was bad?

At least there they’d known they were living reality.

Here, they weren’t so sure.

_ ~ _

Someone shrieked.

“Bellamy!” One of the younger guards collided with him, sending them both stumbling to the side. Bellamy reached out to steady them, gripping their shoulders as they panted, chest heaving. “Bellamy, there was- I saw-”

“Hey, hey, calm down. Deep breaths.” They nodded jerkily, and Bellamy gave them a moment to settle down. “Now tell me what happened.”

“I saw someone,” they said, voice quiet, like it was a secret. “I don’t know why it was, she looked like a grounder, but it was so weird, she looked- she looked  _ dead _ .”

His heart leaped to his throat. “What do you mean?” Bellamy urged softly. “What did she look like?”

The kid was looking at him with wild eyes. “I- it was her skin,” they said shakily. “It looked, I don’t know,  _ grey _ . Colorless.” The kid shuddered. “She looked at me and smiled and I swear it looked like her mouth was black.”

_ Corpse _ . Bellamy suddenly saw all the lifeless bodies he’d ever seen, some so old that the skin was grey and peeling, maggots wriggling out through the pores. This kid just described a corpse. Smiling at them.

“Hey,” he said, leaning down closer. “Are you sure that’s what you saw? Completely sure?”

They suddenly looked less confident. “I- I think so. She was just sitting on one of the fallen trees, watching me, and then I looked away for a second and she was gone. But-” the child’s eyes were bright with fear. “There was one of those  _ crows _ .”

Ah. Of course there was.

“Hey. Kid. Listen.” Bellamy leaned down closer. “I’m not saying I doubt you. This place has some crazy stuff going on. I just want to make sure you know what you saw.”

They quickly nodded. “I’m sure. I- I thought I’d seen her before. Little glimpses. But never  _ right there _ .

_ The catch of gold in the pitch black night _ .

“I know what you mean.” Bellamy wrapped his arm around their shoulders, turning back toward camp. “Let’s get back home. It’ll all make sense soon, I’m sure. We’ll figure it out.”

Before it figured them out.

_ ~ _

“The guardsmen are here!”

Bellamy’s head jerked up to the young boy, maybe fifteen, standing in the doorway to his tent. Bellamy quickly packed away the notes he was sketching down and marched to the front. “I’m coming. Tell Raven to keep everyone calm.”

It hadn’t yet been long enough to construct a fully functional wall, so there was nothing they could use as defense against the guards if they chose to react forcefully. Bellamy stepped up to the front where a contingent of about a dozen guards were waiting. None of them were familiar faces.

“Bellamy Blake,” the lead one said, adjusting his rifle. “The council has ordered that you and the rest of the hundred return to Arkadia at once.”

Bellamy folded his hands in front of him. “We no longer follow orders from the council. We are separating from  _ Skaikru _ . You can tell the chancellor that when you return without us.”

The guardsman scowled. “I was ordered to make sure you return, even if force is necessary. I don’t want to do that.”

Bellamy had to hold back laughter. “We outnumber you by over forty people. You couldn’t force us anywhere.”

He growled. Raising his voice, he shouted back to his men. “Guards, contain the-”

_ Bang! Bang! _

Everyone automatically tensed up at the sound of gunshots, but one of the guards was staring frightfully into the trees, rifle raised. “There was someone!” He said, voice lightened by fear. “In the brush!”

The lead raised his hand. “Guns ready, men. Shoot any grounder who comes into sight.”

The sound of a dozen guns clicking.

Nothing.

One of the men fell down with a knife in his throat.

Bellamy scrambled back toward the hundred. “Weapons ready!” He cried. “Form up!”

Anyone with a gun moved to the front, making a wide circle around the unarmed.

Another guard screamed as blood spurted from her neck.

The  _ Skaikru  _ were disorganized, frantic, heads whipping every which way. “Where the hell are they?” Someone shouted to no response.

Another down.

“Retreat! Keep at the ready!” The lead man turned to Bellamy, who was watching the trees carefully. “You want to be free from us?” He graveled. “Then you can be.” 

They fled, leaving three of their own dead on the ground.

The silence was deafening.

And then Bellamy was crashing back into one of the tents, an arm pressed to his throat.

His eyes focused on icy blue.

Pale grey lips rolled back into a snarl, revealing darker purple-tinted gums.

“Get out.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The idea for Clarke's 'corpse' appearance came from Ebozay's fic [Sacrifice](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18836593/chapters/44701519), credit where it's due, and the idea of the delinquents leaving to live on their own came from a certain fanfic I read once and could never find again so cannot give credit there :( it was a great fic though.
> 
> And this story is, guess what, fully plotted! So there is no chance of me going completely off the rails like I did with Secret, so no worries there.
> 
> Hope you stick around to see the outcome of this!
> 
> Cheers!


	2. Raizheda's Rule

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She wasn’t just a threat to their lives, she was a threat to their family. Their group. She was splitting them apart. Tearing them in two. His family.
> 
> He swore to whatever god there was that he would fix this.
> 
> _~ previously ~_
> 
> _“Retreat! Keep at the ready!” The lead man turned to Bellamy, who was watching the trees carefully. “You want to be free from us?” He graveled. “Then you can be.”_
> 
> _They fled, leaving three of their own dead on the ground._
> 
> _The silence was deafening._
> 
> _And then Bellamy was crashing back into one of the tents, an arm pressed to his throat._
> 
> _His eyes focused on icy blue._
> 
> _Pale grey lips rolled back into a snarl, revealing darker purple-tinted gums._
> 
> _“Get out.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you updates would be weird.
> 
> But anyway I literally just finished writing this. It's not edited _at all_ because I'm a lazy fuck but whatever. Hope you like it.

For a second, nobody moved.

Then there was chaos.

All weapons were trained on this girl, this strange, blonde-haired, colorless girl. Bellamy’s thoughts wandered back to the kid, the one who claimed they’d seen a corpse in the woods.

_ This was her _ .

Bellamy arched his neck back away from the blade that had slid along his jugular. His lip curled up into a scowl. “Who are you? What do you want?”

The girl grinned, displaying her oddly colored mouth. Her voice was rough and raspy from misuse. “I want you  _ out _ .”

“These woods are unclaimed,” he frowned. “There is no one to stop us.”

The girl laughed, a harsh sound that sent chills down his spine. “These woods,” she began, “are unclaimed because of  _ me _ . The clans are  _ terrified _ of me. It would be in your best interest to  _ get. Out. _ ”

One of the delinquents hefted his gun, pointing it right at the girl’s head from mere feet away. “Back off or I shoot!”

The girl only raised an eyebrow at him, smirking cockily. “I don’t think so.”

Before he could pull the trigger, the gun was gone from his hands, wispy blue hanging in the air around him. A crow dropped the gun at the girl’s feet and landed on her shoulder, wings flared, head cocked. It clicked, looking at the shooter with soulless eyes. ‘Tk tk, no no.’

_ Oh good, and they talk too _ .

“Listen,” Bellamy said, holding up a hand to keep the hundred from attacking. “We don’t want any trouble. We just want somewhere to stay. We won’t bother you.”

“Don’t want any trouble, do you?” She sneered. “Maybe you should’ve thought of that before your people started shooting at me.”

_ The guards.  _ “No, those weren’t-”

“They were there to take you back,” she stated. “I’m not an idiot. You fled from your clan and now they want you back. If you stay, they will return. So you  _ will leave _ .” She pushed back from Bellamy, leaving a line of red on his neck. “This is not a negotiation!” She said, facing out toward the terrified teenagers. “Leave or I will pick you off one by one until there is no one left to flee.”

She faded back into the trees, the crows shrieking as they swooped after her.

_ Watching.  _

_ Waiting. _

_ ~ Unknown ~ _

_ “Find her.” _

_ They would not fail. _

_ Not like the others. _

_ ~ Bellamy ~ _

“We can’t stay here!”

“What else can we do!” Bellamy shouted, quieting the chatter around camp. “I know you want to leave, but where else is there to go? Back to Arkadia, where we’ll be dragged through the dirt like the criminals they think we are?”

“I say we fight her!” Someone called. “Drive her out! What right does she have?”

“No!” Bellamy yelled, lip curling in frustration. “We aren’t going to attack her! If she comes for us, we will fight, but we  _ will not  _ seek her out.”

“She’s just like the grounders! She’ll cheat us! I say we cheat her first!”

Some people cheered at that. Others divided away. “She’ll kill us! We have to go back!”

“It’s just one girl! What can she do?”

“She was commanding the damn birds!”

“They’re just stupid  _ birds _ , what are they gonna do?”

“Everyone SHUT UP!”

All eyes fell on Bellamy. The camp had split itself into two sides. Looking over both, he made his decision. “We’re not going anywhere.”

People started to talk but he raised his fist. “If you want to go back, then go. But I will not take you. And we will not be leaving to find the girl either. If she comes, let her come. We’ll be ready.”

He turned to Miller. “Double the guard. Make sure each one has a gun.” Facing back out to the crowd, “everyone who doesn’t know how to fire a gun will learn. Those on guard duty,  _ look before you shoot _ . A single mistake could get someone killed. Do you hear me?”

“What about the crows?” One of the younger girls said. “They might, like, report back to her.”

Bellamy pursed his lips. “Raven, how are we on ammunition?”

She shrugged. “Looking good. As long as we don’t fight any wars soon, we’ve got enough to hold us off.”

He nodded. “Shoot the birds if you want to. But you have to take this seriously. This is not a game. Understood?”

The word rippled through the crowd.

“Good.” A single gesture towards Miller had him off to get a new guard rotation into place. 

Monty slid up next to him. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

Bellamy sighed, glancing at the guns being handed out. “No. But it’s the only choice we have, if we want to stay here. I’m not going to kill some girl, even if she is dangerous. Not unless I have to.”

He met the eyes of a small blue-ish crow in the trees. “Besides, she’s just one girl.”

He pulled the gun over his head and shot the bird dead.

_ ~ _

Bellamy should have known it wouldn’t be that simple.

“Hey! What did I say about taking this seriously?”

The group of teens looked back at him, smirks on each of their faces. “What? You said we could shoot the birds.”

“And I also told you that  _ this isn’t a game _ .” Bellamy yanked a gun out from one boy’s hands. “Each shot you miss is one less bullet. If you want to shoot the crows,  _ fine,  _ but you hit the target.”

“Or maybe don’t shoot them?” Raven hobbled over to them, pointing up at the trees. “You’re attracting more.”

They scoffed. “Birds run  _ away  _ from loud noises, not towards them.” One boy shot a bullet up into the trees. The crows scattered.

A loud  _ caw  _ from behind made half of them jump. A smaller bird sat on the logs by the fire, head cocked, watching. It chirped, spreading its wings. Almost making itself a target.

Why the hell would it do that?

A younger boy cocked his gun at it. “Stupid bird.”

“Wait!” Bellamy raised his hands. “Don’t shoot it. This isn’t right-”

“It’s just a damn bird, calm down,” he said, rolling his eyes. And then he shot.

The bird cried out, hopping back as dark smoke spilled from the hole in its chest. They all watched in horror as the bird seemed to melt down into a wash of smoke, folding in on itself until it was nothing more than a blue wisp in the air.

There was silence. And then the sky was filled with black wings.

The same boy who shot the crow yelped as one grabbed hold of his gun, tugging back. He yanked it away, stumbling back, but another swooped down and knocked it out of his hands.

They fucking  _ swarmed _ .

His shouts turned to screams as the birds dove at him, clawing at his face, pulling layers of skin off with their beaks. They ripped into him, so many of them it was impossible to see anything past the dark feathers. 

When they finally dispersed, Bellamy had to duck to avoid getting slapped by the surge of wings. Kids shrieked, someone cursed, a couple were sobbing in all-out fear, and the birds’ keening cries pierced through his head.

They left behind them a mangled mess where there once stood a boy.

The camp was once again in chaos, people talking over one another, everyone peeling back away from the scene left behind, but Bellamy was frozen in place, eyes locked up into one of the trees.

Meeting his were cold blue irises, accompanied by a triumphant grin.

He watched a large purple crow land on the girl’s shoulder, blood caked over its feathers. She lifted a hand and let it rest on her wrist, petting its head like it hadn’t just murdered someone.

Like she hadn’t just murdered someone.

A chill ran down his spine when she looked back to him. She just nodded, as if acknowledging him, before flitting off into the trees.

And he knew.

That was just a show.

Bellamy couldn’t help but wonder what sort of demon they shared the woods with.

_ ~ _

The tensions in camp came to a climax.

“We can’t deal with this, Bellamy,” one of the girls said to him at dinner that night. “It terrifies the kids. It terrifies all of us. Some of them woke up screaming last night. They’re afraid to even leave the tents.”

Bellamy sighed and nodded. “I know. I know. Just- tell them I’ll find a way to deal with it. We’ll get through this. We always have.”

The girl shook her head. “No. They won’t accept that this time. Not when they watched her tear apart Liam like they did.” She looked down, hands twisting uncomfortably. “They want to leave. Go back to Arkadia. At least it’s safe there.”

_ They want to leave. _

He couldn’t blame them.

Bellamy nodded. “Okay. I’ll talk to the rest of the camp tomorrow. See who wants to leave.” He put a hand on her shoulder. “If this is what you really want, I’ll make sure you get back safe.”

She smiled shyly. “Thanks, Bellamy.”

He watched her go back over to her tent, which she now shared with far more people than it was meant for. Mostly the kids. There was one as young as eleven in there with her. No one that young should have to go through this. Hell, none of them should have to go through this.

Glancing up at the shapes of the birds above them, he felt a new anger at this girl. She wasn’t just a threat to their lives, she was a threat to their family. Their group. She was splitting them apart. Tearing them in two. His  _ family _ .

He swore to whatever god there was that he would fix this.

_ ~ _

Out of the forty-three left of the hundred, thirteen people chose to leave. 

Bellamy went with them to the border of Trikru. He had six of his stronger gunmen accompanying them. Just in case. You could never be too careful with the grounders. Most had backed off since Lexa abandoned them at Mount Weather, feeling ashamed of their commander, but that didn’t mean there wasn’t a mutual hatred still simmering between them.

The trek back to camp felt like a finality. The silence was deafening.

Luckily enough, he wasn’t alone.

Not that this was a person he wanted to see.

“I can’t decide whether to praise your bravery or chide you for being too damn stubborn.”

Bellamy had to pause for a moment to calm the rage boiling up inside of him. He had to deal with this lightly. One mistake could lead to a travesty. Whether that be his own death or the death of some of his kids, he couldn’t risk it.

Turning around, she was leaning against a tree, grinning lazily. He still shuddered looking at her colorless skin, but it was almost made up for by the golden lush shrouding her face, far too bright for her darkened soul. Her head dipped to the side, icy cold eyes locked onto him.

Bellamy took a deep breath.  _ Careful, careful _ . “We don’t want any trouble. The woods are big enough to share. Surely you can spare some?”

She raised an eyebrow. “Oh? You want to negotiate? That’s new.” She tipped her chin up. “Very well. Make your offer. Why should I let you stay?”

That made him falter. Why should she? They could offer her nothing. Nothing she would want, anyway.

Bellamy sucked in a breath. “What would you want? For us to stay?”

She barked a laugh. “From you? There is nothing you could give me that would make me accept this deal. You are a mere child. Too innocent for this world.”

Bellamy felt irritated at that, but refrained from making a remark. “There’s nothing you want? Everyone wants something.”

“True. But you cannot give it to me.” Pushing up, she strolled leisurely toward him. “I’ll tell you what. I’ll let you stay on one condition.” Her eyes burned with malice, the grin turning up into a smirk. “Pledge yourselves to me. Swear your loyalty and I’ll return it with a place to live, away from all the clans. Just like you want.”

Bellamy felt a wave of revulsion wash over him. He pursed his lips nervously. “I don’t even know who you are.”

She huffed out a laugh, grinning widely, showing off her strangely colored mouth. “ _ Exactly _ . Prove how much you want this,  _ Raizheda _ . How much you’ll actually give to me.”

_ Fucking hell.  _ He couldn’t pledge to this woman. This psychopath. She was insane if she thought he’d ever accept. Hell, going back to Skaikru would be better. The Chancellor, as bad as she was, could never stand up to  _ her _ .

He realized he’d been staring at her the entire time. She didn’t seem to mind. Watching her, she was so still it was almost like a statue. Not even a twitch.

_ What the fuck was this woman? _

She bared her teeth in a venomous smile. “I’m waiting.”

God, he couldn’t decide this for the kids! He couldn’t make them bow to  _ her!  _ And yet refusing could mean anything. Death, probably. 

He couldn’t let her kill them.

Bellamy steeled himself to respond.

“I-”

“Bellamy!”

He jumped, spinning around. The girl only sighed. “Your kids want you,  _ Raizheda _ . Go and rule them.”

When he looked back, she was gone.

_ ~ _

Bellamy heard the commotion.

The kids were shouting, all talking at once, and he could hear the sounds of something else, obscured by the chaos. Pushing out of his tent, Octavia and Lincoln sat atop their horses, pushing through the crowd. When his sister’s eyes fell on him, she steered her horse toward him, disregarding everyone who had to leap out of her way.

“Bellamy!” She gasped, sliding off the horse and into his arms. “Bellamy, thank god you’re okay!”

His eyebrows furrowed. “O, what-”

“You shouldn’t have come here.”

He glanced up to find Lincoln dismounting from his horse, walking over to them. His eyes watched the trees. Bellamy stuttered out a “what?” even though he knew exactly what Lincoln spoke of.

_ Corpse _ .

Lincoln glanced at him. “These woods are dangerous. You are lucky you still live.”

Bellamy raised his shoulders. “If you’re talking about the demon-crow-lady that lives here, she’s already found us.”

Lincoln shook his head. “That woman isn’t just a demon. She’s the devil herself.”

_ Pledge yourselves to me _ .

What had he almost gotten them into?

Bellamy glanced up at the black birds, always watching, always  _ there _ . “Lincoln. Who is she?”

The man sighed, face dark. “Her name is Wanheda, the Commander of Death, and she is the most dangerous person alive.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An end note: I'll be writing for kinktober this year! So far, my plan is to write entirely within t100 fandom, but I'll need some pairing ideas. Suggest some to me on [tumblr](https://kloxbian.tumblr.com) or just write it in the comments! I can probably fit it in somewhere ;)
> 
> Cheers!

**Author's Note:**

> Come visit me on tumblr [here](https://lovelessdyke.tumblr.com), or I just recently made a t100 insta account that'll eventually have stuff on it if you wanna check that out [here](https://instagram.com/lovelesss.klark)


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